Business Daily Media

Men's Weekly

.

APAC sustainability experts cite legislation, business action as top developments driving the sustainability agenda: ERM-GlobeScan survey

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 13 June 2023 - The latest research from GlobeScan and the SustainAbility Institute by ERM finds that sustainability leadership increasingly requires going beyond compliance towards developing innovative business models with sustainability at their core.

Legislative actions, standardisation of sustainability-related disclosures, the COP15 biodiversity framework and business actions are also recognised as pivotal sustainability developments over the last 12 months.

The GlobeScan / SustainAbility Survey: 2023 Sustainability Leaders surveyed over 500 sustainability professionals from corporate, government, academia and non-profit sectors across 63 countries between March and May 2023. As the largest and longest-running survey of its kind, the GlobeScan / SustainAbility Institute by ERM Leaders survey has tracked expert opinions on sustainable development leadership for more than 25 years.

The research also shows experts looking for evidence of positive impacts, along with aspirational goals and a sense of genuine purpose, highlighting the need to continue taking ambitious approaches in the face of increasing pressure from regulation and disclosure requirements.

The key survey findings with Asia Pacific highlights include:

  • Key developments on the sustainability agenda: Asia-Pacific's sustainability leaders viewed legislation and business action towards sustainability (14%) as the most significant positive development. This is followed by sustainability disclosure standards (11%) and renewables and carbon-related developments (10%).
  • What makes sustainability leadership: Integrating sustainability into business model and strategy ranked as the most important drivers for corporate sustainability leadership (27%), which is consistent with counterparts' views from Europe, North and Latin America. Evidence of impact and action (17%) and setting ambitious targets (16%) are also key factors in demonstrating leadership.
  • Corporate sustainability leaders in Asia-Pacific: Mahindra & Mahindra rose from third place last year to clinch the top spot as the region's corporate leader in sustainability. City Developments Ltd. and PTT Global tie at second place, while Tata has dropped from leading the pack in 2022 to fourth place. Other notable corporate sustainability leaders include: Charoen Pokphand Group, Samsung, Swire, Toyota, Kao and SCG.

Urgency of sustainable development challenges and recent breakthroughs

Ninety-three percent (93%) of sustainability experts continue to rank climate change as the most urgent challenge. Deforestation was included in the survey for the first time in 2023 and ranks among the top five most urgent issues (86%). Other issues ranking consistently high in urgency over the past five years include biodiversity loss (86%), water scarcity (86%), and poverty (80%).

Globally, sustainability experts point to a range of new sustainability legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and EU Green Deal (mentioned by 25%), disclosure standards (13%), and the COP15 biodiversity agreement (10%) as most significant. Other highlighted developments include recent action and commitments by businesses (9%) and the rise of green financing (7%).

Mark Lee, Director of the SustainAbility Institute by ERM said: "Companies are increasingly integrating sustainability into their business strategies and are recognised as leaders for doing so. This year's leader, Patagonia, has taken integration of sustainability to an unprecedented level by channeling all profits to nature and climate action. The bar for sustainable business continues to rise, and corporates will need to keep pushing boundaries to maintain their status as leaders."

Chris Coulter, CEO of GlobeScan said: "Government is back when it comes to sustainability! Stakeholders point to new legislation and disclosure rules as the most important breakthroughs in the sustainability agenda in the past year."

Company and NGO leadership on sustainable development

For the first time in this survey, Patagonia (mentioned by 32% of experts) is the company most recognised by sustainability professionals for its work on sustainability, unseating Unilever (29%) which had enjoyed the top spot for over a decade. IKEA (10%), Natura &Co (9%), and Microsoft (6%) round out the top five.

Experts are increasingly prioritising tangible impact and action (mentioned by 23% of experts) and setting ambitious goals and targets (16%) while continuing to cite placing sustainability at the very core of the business model (31%) as the prime reason they recognise a company as a leader.

While the list of globally recognised sustainability leaders has changed only modestly in recent years, different names emerge when experts are asked to identify sustainability leaders among companies headquartered in their own regions. Experts in Africa and the Middle East highlight Safaricom (12%), Nedbank (10%), and Woolworths (10%) as regionally based sustainability leaders. In Latin America and the Caribbean, Natura &Co is the stand-out recognised sustainability leader named by 46 percent of experts in that region, followed by Suzano (16%) and O Boticário (15%).

Among NGOs, sustainability experts continue to overwhelmingly recognise the World Wildlife Fund as the leader in sustainable development (named by 42%) followed by Greenpeace and organisations tied to the United Nations such as the Global Compact (named by 15% each) and the World Resources Institute (named by 14%).

Notes to editors

The GlobeScan / SustainAbility Institute by ERM Survey of Experts stakeholder research programme captures insights from sustainability experts and charts the shifting sustainability agenda over time.

As the largest and longest-running survey of its kind, it has tracked expert opinions on sustainable development leadership for more than 25 years. The research draws from bi-annual surveys of our global panel of experienced sustainability experts (including leaders in business, government, NGOs, and academia) on topics such as recognised leadership, climate change, biodiversity, inequality, the SDGs, and key emerging issues.

A total of 520 qualified sustainability experts across 63 countries and representing different sectors including Corporate, Service & Media, Academia, NGOs, and Government completed the online questionnaire between March 13 and May 7, 2023. The survey was offered in Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese, and Spanish, in addition to English.

Hashtag: #ERM

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About the SustainAbility Institute by ERM

The SustainAbility Institute is ERM's primary platform for thought leadership on sustainability. Its purpose is to define, accelerate, and scale sustainability performance by developing actionable insight for business. The Institute identifies innovative solutions to global sustainability challenges built on ERM's experience, expertise, and commitment to transformational change.

As the largest global pure play sustainability consultancy, ERM partners with the world's leading organisations to create innovative solutions to sustainability challenges and unlock commercial opportunities that meet the needs of today while preserving opportunity for future generations.

ERM's diverse team of 7,500+ world-class experts in over 170 offices in 39 countries supports clients across the breadth of their organisations to operationalise sustainability. Through ERM's deep technical expertise, clients are well-positioned to address their environmental, health, safety, risk, and social issues. ERM calls this capability its "boots to boardroom" approach – a comprehensive service model that allows ERM to develop strategic and technical solutions that advance objectives on the ground or at the executive level.

Learn more:

News from Asia

Reshaping Global Lubricant Supply Chains: Trump-Era Tariffs Driving Industry Pivot Toward Asia

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 July 2025 - With the global lubricants industry still adjusting to the lasting impact of U.S. trade policy enacted during the first presidential term ...

EPIC 2025 Outdid Itself with Record-High 1,200 Applications

Doubled from last year with 87% entering the Hong Kong startup competition from overseas HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 July 2025 - EPIC 2025, organised by Hong Kong Science and Tech...

Chongqing Qianxin Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Group Co., Ltd(CFTEC) Hosts the Global Trade Partner Matching Conference

CHONGQING, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 July 2025 - On July 16, the Global Trade Partner Matching Conference, organized by CFTEC and guided by the Chongqing State-owned Assets Supervision ...

Taiwan's Premier Music Festival Returns: 2025 Hualien Summer Festival Brings Star-Studded Lineup to Eastern Taiwan

HUALIEN, TAIWAN - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 July 2025 - In the wake of last year's April 3 earthquake in Taiwan, the Hualien County Government has launched "We Bloom!", a revitalization initiat...

SLiquid Global: All-in-One Liquid Cooling Ecosystem

BEIJING, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 July 2025 - On July 16, Data Center Asia 2025 officially opened in Hong Kong. As an innovation practitioner in the field of liquid cooling, SLiquid Gl...

Correcting and Replacing: Brand New TV Show "AI for Humans" Officially Premieres Exploring the Limitless Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Hong Kong

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 July 2025 - The brand-new TV show "AI for Humans" will premiere on 19 July (Saturday) at 8:30 PM on HOY TV Channel 78...

Singapore’s Biggest Beauty Sale Returns with $1 Deals, Rolex Prizes, and a BYD Electric Car Giveaway

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 July 2025 - Beauty Fiesta 2025 is set to dazzle beauty lovers once again with its most spectacular edition yet. Taking place at Singapore EXPO Hall 6A acro...

Cushman & Wakefield: China Leads REIT Market Expansion in Asia while India’s REIT Market Demonstrates Robust Growth

Chinese mainland REIT market joined the top three largest REIT markets in Asia for the first time with an 85% increase in market value in 2024 India's office REIT market attracted...

Cyberport "AI x Data Forum" Concludes Successfully Joining Hands with Industry to Drive AI and Data Innovation and Unlock New Value for Enterprises

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 July 2025 - Cyberport successfully hosted the "AI x Data Forum" today. Centered on the theme "AI in Action, Data at the Core: Unlocking Infinite Potent...

AUPU to Debut Cutting-Edge Home Comfort Innovations at ARCHIDEX 2025

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 18 July 2025 - As a global pioneer in home comfort technology, AUPU is set to showcase its latest advancements at ARCHIDEX 2025—the 24th Internat...

Hays launches FY25/26 Salary Guide: ‘Salary Paradox’ deepens as pay rises fail Australians

Rising dissatisfaction with pay, progression and perks is fuelling a new wave of career change in FY25/26, as Australians demand more from employe...

Australian Businesses Still Stuck in the AI Hype Cycle

Data Governance Failures, ROI Gaps and Unclear Strategy Slowing Progress Despite artificial intelligence (AI) dominating headlines and boardroom ag...

How to ensure your manufacturing business survives international tariff turmoil

Optimising your operations in FY2026 will help you combat the challenges of a volatile trading environment. Up, down, in out…Since the commence...

Why Apptio is Enhancing Visibility into AI and Hybrid Cloud

AI investments have become a strategic priority for business with the mindset that if you're not using AI, you're falling behind. But according to...

Beyond borders: Building a scalable strategy for international hiring

For many Australian businesses, growth increasingly depends on thinking beyond local borders.  As wage pressures rise, and specialised talent pool...

The Next Generation of Maritime Sustainable Solutions

As organizations globally seek innovative ways to improve sustainability and their impact on Earth, the American Waterways Operators (AWO), a lead...

Sell by LayBy